Spring bed-bottom.



No. 729,692. i PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903. P. s. SPRAGUE.

SPRING BED BOTTOM. APPL IOATIOE FILED D110. 19. 1902'.

no MODEL.

Patented June 2, 1903.

ATENT FFICE.

FRANKLIN S. SPRAGUE, OF SAUGUS, MASSACHUSETTS.

7 SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,692, dated June 2, 1903.

Application filed December 19, 1902. Serial No. 135,888. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LFRANKLIN S. Sraneuna citizen of the United States, residing in Sangus, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Spring Bed-Bottoms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of spring bed-bottoms in which the entire bedbottom is arranged to be folded by means of scribed in detail below and illustratedin the.

accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View showing the portion next one end of my improved spring bedbottom in position upon a bedstead,illustrated in plan and horizontal section. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, a portion only of the bedstead being illustrated. Fig. 3 is a vertical section and elevation, in enlarged detail, taken on line 3, Fig. 7, illustrating the connection between the end rail of the bed-bottom, the third rail, and the end rail of the bedstead. Fig. l is a cross-section taken on line 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in side elevation, showing the connection between the end rail of the spring bed-bottom and side rail of the same. Fig. 6 isan end elevation of the same. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail in elevation illustrating the hinged joint in an end rail of the bed-bottom and the connec tion between said end rail and the third rail and between the third rail and end rail of the bedstead, the spring bed-bottom being represented as open. Fig. 8 is a similar view with the spring bed-bottom represented as closed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

a represents an end rail, (either at the head or foot of the bedstead,) and a posts thereof, the same making no part of the invention.

1) represents a jointed end rail, the two being alike, of the spring bed-bottom.

0 represents the springs.

(1 represents the tubular'onter rails, and e the tubular inner or third rail, said rails making a portion of the bed-bottom and all being open at their ends.

Secured to each jointed end rail I) at one side of the joint by a suitable bolt and nut ff is the curved or C-shaped end g of the bar g, preferably flat. The straight portion g of the bar extends into the tubular third rail 6 and rests upon the flat upper side of the shank h, which lies in the third rail and'practically tits therein, being curved in cross-sec tion to correspond therewith. This shank 71. sustains the bar g tightly and is held frictiontight thereby, as said bar, with its curved end g, constitutes a spring, the upper side whereof bears against the under edge of the outer end of the tubular third rail a, while the extreme end of the C-shaped portion g bears on the upper outer surface of the third rail,

all as illustrated in Fig. 3. From the shank 7t there extends an arm h, terminating in a downweirdly-projecting hook it", which overlaps the outer edge of the end rail a. Thus the end rails 11' of the bed-bottom are connected with the third rail g and the wholeports for the ends of the end bars I)" consist of bent metallic bars or brackets Z, not new in this invention. The two parts of each end rail 1) are connected by a hinge, which consists of the semicircular plate or segment 11.,

provided at the center of its circular edge with the radial projection n, pivot-pins orboltsp connecting pivotally the plate at opposite sides of its center with the adjacent ends of the bar I), and suitable nuts 8. This plate being substantially of the shape of a half-circle and the rails 12 being constructed of angleshaped metallic bars, its straight edge when the bed-bottom is open lies next and substantially flush with the upper edge of'the end rail b, and the projection it extends down between the inner edges of the horizontal portion 1) (see dotted lines in Figs. 2, 6, 7, and 8 and full lines in Figs. 1, 3, and 5) of the jointed angle-shaped rail Z), and thus holds the plate in the position indicated-that is, with its straight edge horizontal, as shown in Fig. 7. When the bed is folded, the straight edge is vertical and at right angles with the adjacent edges of the bar-that is, the edges which are both uppermost when the bed is openwhile the outer ends of the plate a bear against the horizontal portions 1) of the angle-shaped rail, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In practice one of the nuts f is always a little tighter than the other, and hence when the bed is in the act of being folded holds the plate n at one end until the swingingportion of the end rail has reached a vertical position. When that position has been reached, the portion 12 of that part of the end rail carrying the other nut comes into contact with the adjacent end of the plate and turns it for a quarter-turn, swinging the straight edge from the horizontal position indicated in Fig. 7 into the vertical position indicated in Fig. 8 and at right angles with the adjacent rail. When the bedbottom is swung open, the projection h is swung down and centered by the relative action of the parts I) of the angle-shaped rails, thus bringing the straight edge into the horizontal position shown in Fig. 7.

It will be seen that the spring bed-bottom is sustained at its side edges by the supports Z and substantially centrally next to the joint by the third rail and the curved bars 9 g, and the bed-bottom is prevented from longitudinal relative movement by the curved bars 9 g in connection with the hooked portionsah h h.

The hinge is exceedingly simple and positive in action. 4

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding spring bed-bottom, in combination with the two parts of the angle shaped rail b; the plate at substantially semicircular in shape and provided with the central projection n, said plate being pivotally connected with the adjacent ends of the vertical portion of the angle shaped rail at points at such distances from the adjacent ends of the rail and from the horizontal portions thereof, that the opposite ends of the plate will come in contact with the horizontal .portions of said adjacent ends when the bedbottom is closed, and the projection n" will lie between said adjacent ends when the bedbottom is open,.substantially as described.

2. In a spring bed-bottom of the character described, in combination with the end rails of the bed-bottom and the tubular end rails of the bedstead; the shank h lying in the tubular end rail of the bedstead and provided with the downwardly-hooked arm 7t, 71/; and the bar consisting of the straight portion 9 within the tubular end rail and pressed upon the upper surface of said shank, and the curved portion g secured to the end rail of the bed-bottom and with its outer end bearing on the upper side of the tubular end rail of the bedstead, substantially as set forth.

3. In a spring bed-bottom of the character described, in combination with one of the outer angle-shaped rails 17 of the bed-bottom and a corresponding tubular rail 6 of the bedstead below said rail 1); the bar consisting of the substantially straight portion g within said tubular rail,'and the curved and substantially circular Cshaped portion g secured to said rail of the bed-bottom; and a bar within said tubular rail of the bedstead between said substantially straight portion g and the inner surface of the tubular rail and in contact with both, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- FRANKLIN S. SPRAGUE.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, A. N. BoNNEY. 

